Blank mold means with pneumatic operated plunger for fabricating seamless high optical quality glass articles



Oct, .26, 1965 J, MARTIN 3,214,258

BLANK MOLD MEANs WITH PNEUMATIC OPERATED PLUNGER FOR FABRICATINGsEAMLESs HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY GLASS ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 30,1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 q FIG 2 l A f 254 }-/8 45 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS J.MARTIN 3,214,258 BLANK MOLD MEANS WITH PNEUMATIC OPERATED PLUNGER Oct.26, 1965 FOR FABRICATING SEAMLESS HIGH OPTICAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 3John Martin INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 26, 1965 J. MARTIN 3,214,258

BLANK MOLD MEANS WITH PNEUMATIC OPERATED PLUNGER FOR FABRICATINGSEAMLESS HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY GLASS ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 50,1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 F" A I ,l 5 2/8 2/8 I l 1/ 2/8 I 2/5 A FIG 5 FIG 4283 2/2 2/9 2/2 iii: W

5 John Martin INVENTCR ATTORN EYS 0d. 26, 1965 MARTIN 3,214,258

BLANK MOLD MEANS WITH PNEUMATIC OPERATED PLUNGER FOR FABRICATINGSEAMLESS HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY GLASS ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 50,1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 John Mar/in INVENTOR ATTORN EYS United StatesPatent '0 3 Claims. (c1. 65-318) This application is a division of myapplication Serial No. 849,928 filed October 30, 1959 now Patent No.3,142,552 granted July 28, 1964.

The present invention relates to a pneumatically operated plunger forfabricating seamless high optical quality glass articles which may beused with various types of blank mold means.

An object of the invention is to provide pneumatic means to replace theusual spring means cooperating with the plunger for forming the pre-formof a glass article in a blank mold.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for applying aplunger to form a pre-form of the glass article in a blank mold at adesired pressure with a pneuma'tic cushion action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a constructionwhereby the pressure of the plunger in form ing a pre-form may bechanged at any time without stopping the operation of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby theextent of movement of the parts involved is held at a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent fromthe following description and claimed in the claims, a preferred form ofconstruction is shown in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view with parts in elevation of a plungerconstruction for applying the pressure for forming a pre-form in a blankmold with the piston in its uppermost position.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view with parts in elevation of theplunger shown in FIGURE 1 with the piston in its lowermost position.

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the neck ringmechanism and the hydraulic motor for rotating the same together withthe formation by the plunger of the preform.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the blank mold construction withits retaining basket and the means for operating the same taken uponsection line 4--4 of FIG- URE 6 with the piston in its uppermostposition.

FIGURE 5 is a view of the construction shown in FIG- URE 4 with partsshown in elevation taken upon section line 55 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the construction shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 7-7 of FIGURE5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 88 of FIGURE5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view illustrating particularly the means forcovering the blank mold in order to protect the same from drippings,etc.

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 10-10 ofFIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a top plan view of the construction shown in FIGURE 10 withcertain parts shown in section, and

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view of the top portion of the cylinderfor the plunger of FIGURE 1 illustrating particularly the various portsfor the air pressure.

In the various figures of the drawings,-like reference numerals are usedto indicate like parts.

A metered gob of molten glass is supplied to a blank mold indicatedgenerally at 10 in any desired manner.

The plunger mechanism indicated generally at 44 for actuating theplunger 16 in order to form the pre-form in the blank m0ld 10 is shownparticularly in FIG- URES l, 2 and 3.

The plunger mechanism comprises a cylinder 27 in which a piston 18 isreciprocal. The piston 18 at its upper portion is fixed to a hollowshaft 35. The piston 18 is itself hollow, as shown, forming the aircushioning space 32 in which the free floating piston 254 upon hollowshaft 34 is positioned. Within hollow shafts 34 and 35, passing throughboth pistons is the plunger head shaft 17 to which the plunger head 16is attached.

The piston 18 may be move downwardly by thehollow shaft 35 when airenters the ports 55 as shown more particularly in FIGURE 12. When piston18 moves downwardly it carries with it piston 254. The pressure in theair space 32 is supplied through the passage 33 existing between thehollow shafts 35 and 34. This pressure is regulated by means of areduction valve 40 and a manometer 41 upon the line 275 from a suitableair supply. The piping 275 is suificiently long to serve as anaccumulator. The volume of such piping is sufficiently large so that thepressure increase is negligible when it absorbs the backward flow of theair displaced by the plunger. 39 is a filter. By this control of the aircushion 32 it will be seen that the pressure existing in the cushioningspace 32 may be adjusted even while the machine is operating.

Ordinarily the pressure of air in order to move the entire mechanism isfrom 30 to 60 pounds per square inch but the controlled air pressurewithin the cushioned space 32 is only from a few ounces to about 10pounds per square inch. This pressure operation is an exceedinglydelicate operation and must be accomplished with the utmost accuracy.The pressure for small tumblers for instance is about 5 ounces while forlarger tumblers the pressure may be four of five pounds. This is becausethe various molds used are not exactly the same. As a general rule theoperation is carried out with the lowest pressure possible. If it werenecessary to stop the machine in order to correct the pressure to beapplied by the plunger then the plunger would cool and such plungershould ordinarily have a rather high temperature. In order to move thepiston 18 upwardly air is admitted into the passage 26 and from thencethrough the bores in the casting 28 to an annular groove 30 and fromthere downwardly through the bore 28 and into a passage 253 located atthe bottom of the cylinder 27.

The shaft 34 is provided as mentioned above at its lower end with apiston 254 which forms a part of the cushioning means. The rod 17 towhich the plunger 16 is attached is provided with'a central bore38 whichcommunicates on one hand with the air inlet 36 and onthe other hand withthe outlet ports 46 provided upon the plunger head 16. This constitutesthecooling air for the plunger. A cap nut is indicated at 43 and isseated upon the air admission collar 42. The top plate of the cylinderis shown at 29 with the intermediate head plate 23. The bottom headplate is shown at 20 and by the various ports and annular passages theconduits for the air are provided.

A head assembly ring is shown at 21 and a cooling air inlet collar at42. The hollow shaft 34 carrying the piston 254 is provided at its lowerend with a bleed hole 224 and an additional bleed hole 252 for the spacebelow the plunger 254 in order to allow air to escape and not to buildup a counter pressure, preventing downward movement of the piston 254due to cushion pressure in the space 32.

The bleed holes prevent equalization of air pressure at each side of thepiston 254 and thereby allow a more accurate pressure to be maintainedin air cushion 32. They also remove condensed water and oil.

In FIGURE 3 the neck ring mechanism together with the cooperatingelements is shown. The hydraulic motor indicated generally at' 101comprises a shaft 105, and a collar 104 fixed to the shaft by a key 106.The collar 104 is provided with a plurality of spaced bores 126 in whichare located the pins 103. The pins are slidably mounted in the bores andthere are fluid inlets 102 and 102' which communicate with the bores126.

In the housing 107 there is provided an inclined plane 108 in the formof a ball bearing. If fluid under pressure is admitted to inlet 102 andevacuated from 102' the pin 108. Since there are a plurality of thesepins as long as pressure is applied as indicated the collar 104 will berotated and the shaft 105 will also be rotated. A reverse rotation ofthe shaft may also be accomplished by reversing the pressure andevacuation applied to the pins 103. Also by a suitable control of thehydraulic pressure applied the shaft 105 may be rotated alternatelyclockwise and counterclockwise and thereby bring about a sim ilarrotation of the neck ring. Lubricating inlets are shown at 111 and theshaft 105 is mounted in ball bearings 109.

At the lower end of the shaft 105 there is fixed a gear 112 which mesheswith the idle gear 113. The idle gear 113 meshes with a ring gear 114which transmits motion to a ring 117 which is an internally bifurcatedtorus. In FIGURE 11 the ring 117 is indicated in dotted lines. Thebifurcations of the ring 117 serve as hearing points for the shafts 119upon which the pivoting neck ring release arms 118 pivot. The neck ring121 is secured to the piv- 'oting arms 118 by the bolts 120. Thisconstruction as shown is located below the blow head seat 115 and theThe gear 114 is fixed to the ring 117 and a coil spring 123 encirclesthe lower portion of the neck ring release arms 118. The spring 123 actsas a return spring for returning the arms 118 to the position shown inFIGURE '3 upon upward movement of the release ring 116. The

inward action of the arms 118 upon the neck ring 121 is restrained bythe contact of the neck ring with the neck 'ring guide 122 when suchring is positioned in its normal operating position.

Referring to FIGURES 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 the blank mold retaining basket isindicated generally at 11. This is secured to the top of a tubularpiston shaft 236. The bottom of the basket is provided with a tubularstem 283 'which fits within the tubular shaft 236 and is secured theretoby means of a pin 217. The stem 283 and the shaft 236 is provided withair inlets 212 for the cooling air for the bottom of the blank mold.Cooling air enters at the inlet 216 and the basket is provided withoutlet windows 218 for the exit of the cooling air.

At the lower end of the tubular shaft 236 there is pro vided a piston238. Referring to FIGURE 6 air inlets 233 and 234 are provided formoving the piston upwardly and downwardly in the cylinder 214. As shownby the flow lines in FIGURE 4 air for moving the piston 238 upwardly isadmitted at 234 and passes through channel 225 to the lower side ofpiston 238. The air for lowering the piston is admitted at inlet 233 andpasses through the channel 284 to the passage 235 in the casing 10 andfrom there to the annular channel 226 at the top of cylinder 214 fromwhich it passes through the outlets 224 in the annular flange 213 at theupper portion of the cylinder 214. Means for adjusting the air escapefrom the cylinder is shown at 219.

In order to cushion the action of the piston 238 there is provided asheet metal check valve both at the top and at the bottom of thecylinder 214. The check valve at the top is shown at 221 and the checkvalve at the bottorm of the cylinder is shown at 220. The means foradjusting the escape of air is indicated at 219 with a square end 229for manipulating the same.

The construction of the check valve 220 is shown more particularly inFIGURE 8 and comprises a sheet metal strip 221 with a bend 222 therein.The upper check valve 221 is provided with a bend 222 as shown in FIG-URE 7. 223 indicates the bolts for securing the check valves to thecasting 10. At 215 there is shown a cooling air control cock.

FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 show the construction for providing a coveringmechanism and air inlet for the blank mold indicated generally at 78.The mechanism comprises a piston 79 reciprocating in a cylinder 80. Thepiston rod 82 is connected by a link 81 to a link 88 which in turn isconnected by a hub 231 to a hollow rod 86 having an air passageextending axially therethrough. At 266 and 267 holding means areprovided for the rod 86 which are mounted on a fixed part of the frame.When the piston 79 is moved in one direction or the other by air throughone of the ports 250 the links 81 and 88 will rotate the rod 86 and thisrotation is transmitted to the clamping means 87 fixed at the top of therod 86. Mounted upon the clamping means is a cover 83 of the form moreparticularly shown in FIGURE 11. The cover 83 is normally tilted asshown in FIGURE 9 so that any stray'water or foreign material that mayhappen to fall thereon will be deflected from it rather than fall intothe blank mold basket 11. In addition, the air passage 85 providescleaning air for the basket which passes from the passage 85 through thepassage 227 into the passage 228 provided on the cover 83 and thencedownwardly through an opening into the basket 11 and consequently to theblank mold.

A splined rod 237 see FIG. 4 is secured to the base of the cylinder 214and extends upwardly passing through a plug 232 fixed by means of ascrew to the bottom of the piston 238. This rod 237 is designed toprevent any rotation of the mechanism about its axis in order to arrestany tendency to rotate the basket.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understoodfrom the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changesmay be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention orsacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described andillustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A blank mold and plunger for a machine for making seamless glassarticles of high optical quality comprising an exterior cylinder body, afirst hollow movable piston with a closed tubular extension extendingthroughthe top portion of said exterior cylinder body, a free floatinghollow piston movable within said hollow cylinder portion of said firsthollow piston having a hollow plunger stem with a plunger attachedextending through said first hollow piston and the bottom portion ofsaid exterior cyinder body for movement into a blank mold, means forreciprocating said first hollow piston and said enclosed free floatingpiston into said blank mold, means on the upper hollow tubular extensionof said first hollow piston above said free floating piston foradjusting the air pressure to cushion the movement of said free floatinghollow piston into the blank mold.

2. A blank mold and plunger as set forth in claim 1 wherein a rod isprovided Within said free floating piston to support said plunger onsaid stem within said free floating hollow piston.

3. A blank mold and plunger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said meanson said upper hollow tubular extension comprises a pipe and a reductionvalve is mounted on said pipe to regulate the pressure in said aircushion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,027,567 5/12Schies 653l 1,466,867 9/23 Winder 65-318 1,529,661 3/25 Miller 652312,011,980 8/35 Miller 65--3 14 2,146,346 2/39 Nelson a- 65-314 2,837,8726/58 Brymer 65-318 X DONALL H. SYLVESTER, Primary Examiner.

1. A BLANK MOLD AND PLUNGER FOR A MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS GLASSARTICLES OF HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY COMPRISING AN EXTERIOR CYLINDER BODY, AFIRST HOLLOW MOVABLE PISTON WITH A CLOSED TUBULAR EXTENSION EXTENDINGTHROUGH THE TOP PORTION OF SAID EXTERIOR CYLINDER BODY, A FREE FLOATINGHOLLOW PISTON MOVABLE WITHIN SAID HOLLOW CYLINDER PORTION OF SAID FIRSTHOLLOW PISTON HAVING A HOLLOW PLUNGER STEM WITH A PLUNGER ATTACHEDEXTENDING THROUGH SAID FIRST HOLLOW PISTON AND THE BOTTOM PORTION OFSAID EXTERIOR CYLINDER BODY FOR MOVEMENT INTO A BLANK MOLD, MEANS FORRECIPROCATING SAID FIRST HOLLOW PISTON AND SAID ENCLOSED FREE FLOATINGPISTON INTO SAID BLANK MOLD, MEANS ON THE UPPER HOLLOW TUBULAR EXTENSIONOF SAID FIRST HOLLOW PISTON ABOVE SAID FREE FLOATING PISTON FORADJUSTING THE AIR PRESSURE TO CUSHION THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FREE FLOATINGHOLLOW PISTON INTO THE BLANK MOLD.